state opening and queen's speech. c-span.org h at prior etch find episodes. next secretary of state john erry and british foreign hague on william syria. >> telecommunication policy has been reformed since 1934 so there was really a compelling to begin a process of massive telecommunication at that time you basically had boxes, you had a broadcasters, a box for telephone companies, a box for long-distan

you know, cable, satellite and our view was we and try to in eliminate the lines of emarcation and promote competition, believing that with competition there would be investment, d more more consumer choice, more i ovation and fortunately think the result has proven us correct. that is exactly what has happened. 1996 act was written we were largely focused on elephone service whether local or long-distance. to some distance we focused on tv service and wanted to take the stps to make that -- steps to make that market competitive. the primary focus was what we plain old telephone service landscape is ifferent and the f.c.c. as managed as well as it can about how the transition from elephone service to the time when everything is delivered

over the internet should take place. has n my mind the f.c.c. done a good job. >> evaluating the 1996 telecommunications act with two who helped members write it money on "the p.m. icators" at 8:00 eastern on c-span 2. >> on thursday secretary of john kerry was in london for meetings on syria. after the reporters meeting calling the upcoming june 3 elections in syria a farce. responded to allegations of chlorine being used as a weapon in syria. on ukraine he said the u.s. will impose more sanctions on russia if they roxies interfere with the scheduled may 25 elections in ukraine. foreign secretary spoke first to reporters. e will show you both of their remarks. >> good afternoon, ladies and gentlem gentlemen. expressing myn by

danica patrick condolence -- deep condolences to the people of turkey over the mining disaster. u.k. said to him the stands ready it assist our cannds in turkey any way we and the ministers gathered for the friends of syria core group observed a minute of silence in memory of the lives lost in turkey. hosted a series of meetings this morning starting ith a meeting of the fortune ministers of france, italy, germany, united states and the crisis in cuss the ukraine. we unanimously welcome the government's efforts to promote constitutional reform including the first meeting of that was al dialogue held yesterday and this was clearly a successful first meeting. we strongly welcomed that. we welcome the fact that reparations for the

presidential elections on the 5th of may are proceeding well and the great majority of christi ukraine. we strongly reported the osce and the work of the work of the osce on the ground. united kingdom has committed nearly two million pounds to for their work in ukraine and i can announce an additional 500,000 tion of another pounds to the special monitoring mission. are enough there monitors and resources to truthfully onport what is happening on the ground called on and we have other osce partners it do likewise and increase their for there vital effort.

and by the d states european union. we all agree to continue sanctions for these hile urging russia to stop any actions that prevent the elections going ahead peacefully. on the then joined he to make syria by t are the countries that make up the core group of the london 11.syria or detailed talks including the syrian national coalition. are of course united in our disgust and anger at what is syria and the regime's utter disregard for human life. the deaths of over 150,000 syrians. agreed a short

and first of all condemning the assad regime's hold eral plan to illegitimate presidential elections on the 3rd of june. e say in our kphraoupb communique' this mocks the lives contradicts the geneva communique' and many millions of syrians will be unable to participate in such a so-called election and we call on the entire international community to reject these illegitimate elections as the arab league, united nations, united states, and the european union have done. we've also agreed to take steps together through a coordinated strategy to increase the moderate r opposition national coalition nd for its supreme military council and associated moderate syrians will armed groups to do everything we assad regime e

accountable for the terror it is through ing including security council referral it the international criminal court to to counter the extremism and f complete the removal of syrian chemical weapons and step up our deliver humanitarian aid across the borders and lines irrespective of the consent of the regime. we say at the end of the ourunique' we have directed officials to implement a core group action plan. united kingdom for its part an ng to that will provide additional 30 million pounds, practical , in support to help the opposition. decided to upgrade the status of the national oalition's representative office here in london to a mission in recognition of the partnership.our

we will also, with other increase our ill humanitarian assistance to areas the u.n. reached by including funding cross-border aid. the u.k. has allocated 76 million pounds for such operations. we will step up toes efforts and u.n. ly support a new security council resolution to compel the regime to allow into syria and alt its starvation and surrender tactician. as i mentioned in reaches to the support the e will principle of a resolution regime too the syrian the international court. i'm delighted to have the coalition's full support for our declaration of commitment to end sexual in conflict which has been widely used by regime and i have -- a

inside syria and i invited our representative to attend the summit to end sexual violence in conflict from the of june.he 13th so we have had a strong and unite and purposeful meeting involves the stepping up of support to the moderate and ition in syria concerted action at the united nations. we will work over the coming to implement these ommitments including to increa increase humanitarian assistance nd work together and intensify how closely we work together given the deepening crisis in because we are all determined to respond to it. so, that is all we have been this morning and secretary kerry i know is coming down to to you shortly. there is time for a few questions. you, foreign secretary.

it is pretty grim time in syria the crisis deepening, peace talks haven't worked. regained assad has territory, holding elections, opposition groups are fighting each other. days when you can ay not just outside moscow -- not that he must go but he will go. s it time to reevaluate the strategy and on ukraine can you be a bit more clear what russia not to do in order to avoid deeper broader sanctions? must allow the election to go ahead peacefully. does that mean there are not be deeper sanctions? >> on the second point, it behavior russia's over the next 10 days before the first round of the presidential the croon and we

have to remember there may be a further round. whether any ow candidate will achieve an overall majority in that lection so there could be a further round in the middle of june. as president od and chancellor merkel made clear and we made clear in brussels on areas attitude and behavior toward the elections will be the determining factor n whether we need to apply wider sanctions. it is understandable to ask what definition of that but of course we can't give and an exact ant to give definition of that if we set a red line russia knows they can up to that ret line without those -- red line. but it is clear it is the ability of the elections to take place. russia's behavior toward them. ince efforts to disrupt the elections can take many forms

that is not something we can define in advance but we have notice on russia nd of destabilization of those intensified efforts by russia to prevent them taking place will the attitude ines f the whole western world toward the application of wider sanctions.nd trade n the question about syria reassessing strategy, clearly we assess our strategy based on the situation getting syria.n we have always been of the view there will not be a military victory for any side. remains our view including by the regime. there may be some who believe military victory. but that is not available to any side. always been t has

clear there has to be a political solution in the end. analysis remains the same. but in the meantime, many more are being displaced, many more are being killed. step up our efforts moderate re a opposition stays in being and is able to function. they have done a good job. the president of on how toal coalition they conducted themselves in the geneva negotiations and the steps they have taken to be among the people of syria and particularly among religious groups and different communities. a good job.ne but they have to be kept in being, they have to be given help.onal otherwise syrians face a choice etween the assad regime and extremists and greatly to the credit of the national coalition tank on thepared to

extremists -- take on the xtremists and continue the opposition to the regime. so, we see ourselves as acting to make that possible and in order to make it even therer to the regime that is no military victory available to them. that is the extra dimension if you would like to our strategy what we have discussed today. next question. you say analysis remains be a political solution and the way everybody the eing it at the moment elections going on in syria and in the what is new dynamic that it can get a political process there? can add anything you coming out of the talks? and there is the second question havens.fe it is feared the opposition will

be run out of the little space the regime as continues to embattle. is there any possibility of to improve the safe havens even though it is a difficult decision to make? i don't have any announcement to make about safe havens. requires a very different approach militarily would require in the view of would require it a clear mandate from the united nations security council. is not available given the russian attitude to matters. so i don't have any new announcement to make about that. become cal solution has more distant since the geneva talks earlier this year were not successful. brahinmi andute to the work he has done

or he last year and a half so he has made every effort and when the ry clear geneva talks broke up earlier this year that it was the regime to discuss a transitional government which end of onsible for the those talks. the at that time coalition were to put forward plans for a transitional government drawn from opposition and from regime. the regime have refused to do it. a political solution more distant. our message today and actions we on today and the actions we will decide on in the further meetings that will from today will demonstrate for the regime there mechanicpolitical solution. think there doesn't have to be one but there will. t is not possible for them to conquer the whole of the people

of syria militarily given the shed and blood bitterness of divisions that have arisen. if they think the world is going to turn away from supporting the national they are mistaken. we will be stepping up, not our support for the national coalition. hat is a very clear message from all of the countries that were gathered here today. different there are countries among the london 11, he core group supporting different ways. depending on our own legal and situation in each of or countries. stepped support will be up and therefore the need for a political solution is still very there. i'm sorry i'm giving long answers but they are important questions. in connection question. in s there any point

pressing ahead with plans that you mentioned often and repeated to try to refer syria to international criminal taken you are observation about the russian position? is that not just gesture, politics? another point if i may you talk about countries using different the syrian upport opposition. a lot of reports recently about opposition groups receiving more advanced weapons. jaba has been nt lobbying for there in washington. something you have discussed today? > different countries do provide assistance in different ways. for them to speak about the and support provide which isngdom provides n nonlethal assistance. he extra 30 million pounds i announced today is nonlethal assistance. be clear about that. important

assistance. it will help to save lives and in parts ofs to run syria that are not under the control of the regime. to resume our le assistance to the national coalition after having to it on some of their stores fell into the wrong hands in december. we have now a level of confidence in how they can given to e supplies them has improved. so we are able to do that. united kingdom does. but of course you will have to support tary kerry the the united states intends to provide or other countries what they provide. all help in different ways. as i have always made clear in parliament, our support, which overwhelmingly humanitarian, f course, the support that is not humanitarian is practical but it is not lethal. we have not entered into those discussion as the united kingdom. question and we must

let you get set up for secretary kerry. >> thank you. foreign minister, it sounds like you are declaring bankruptcy of syria.olicy there is really nothing new that in this lk about meeting more or less. am i correct in saying that? wonder if you have people andhe rise of what are you doing in practical terms? >> we have discussed the need to increase further coordination some has of course begun time ago on tracking and prevent being the flow of fortune syria, all the ministers have raised that. extremism, the threat of the spread terror is a the wider region major reason for the rest of the world to do everything it can